Amid AP classes and various extracurriculars, Iyer makes a 3D printed prototype engine and a taser at home in his free time. He strives to spend all his time wisely by practicing his future goals. 

Can you describe the functionalities of the prototype engine and the taser?

The V8 engine works exactly like it sounds, but it obviously doesn’t actually power a car. V8 engines are usually found in muscle cars or trucks that need energy to haul cars. The contraptions within the eight cylinders have a piston system where they can develop higher rates of acceleration in comparison with other engines in everyday cars. On the other hand, the taser is powered by three batteries and electricity is generated when the trigger is pressed because the charges of the wires generate current. The taser itself does not hurt; it stings no more than a mosquito bite.

What inspires you to design personal projects?

Ever since I was a child, I have always been interested in science, math and engineering. When I heard about STEM and STEM classes in high school, I enrolled in a heartbeat. I am also inspired by engineers like Mark Rober who are geniuses in the STEM field, so I aspire to be as intelligent and successful as people like Mark one day.

Who guides you through these projects? 

I usually guide myself through projects. My mom bought me a 3D printer in my freshman year of high school and I have been using that to make various projects since then. The cartridges are quite expensive, so I picked up a job at my local Giant to pay for 3D printer cartridges. 

How long does each project take and how often do you undertake these projects?

It really depends on what I am doing, because the taser took about three months because I had to order the items and design a blueprint to build the taser. I failed a couple times, but at the end, I succeeded in building a fully functioning taser. As for the V8 engine, that one took a couple hours because the contraptions are very logical, and I have a good sense of three-dimensional space, so I was able to make a completely scaled down replica in no time.

How does the future look for you? How do these projects affect the world?

I plan on designing more devices like the prototype 3D printed V8 engine and taser in the near future. I have already taken measures for my next project and it will be a type of projectile launcher. Even though these are personal projects, these projects will be a good boost for my college applications as well. In college I would like to do engineering and take these projects to the next level.